Insights into zeolite imidazole frameworks (ZIFs) for CO₂ capture and separation: A short review

Zeolitic imidazole frameworks (ZIFs) are a class of three-dimensional (3D) skeletal materials with zeolitic topology composed of metal ions and imidazolium ligands, which combine the advantages of zeolites and metal-organic frameworks. ZIFs are widely used for adsorption of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from flue gas due to its excellent hydrophobicity, chemical stability, thermal stability and gas adsorption properties. This study focuses on the effects of structures of ZIFs on CO₂ capture and separation from the viewpoints of topologies, pore channels, ligand functional groups and composite structures. On this basis, the mechanisms of CO₂ adsorption and selective separation are reviewed, as well as the challenges such as hydrophobicity, thermal and chemical stability faced by ZIFs in practical applications.